Hose winding reel



Nov. 4, 1969 K. R.GUTHR|E HOSE WINDING REEL 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June30, 1967 I INVENTOR. KENNETH R. GUTHRIE ATTORNEYS.

Nov. 4, 1969 K. R. GUTHRIE HOSE WINDING REEL filer. June 32,

FIG.4

2 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR. KENNETH R.GUTHRIE W ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent Cfifice 3,476,139 Patented Nov. 4, 1969 3,476,139HOSE WINDING REEL Kenneth R. Guthrie, Bradford Heights, Ohio, assignorto AAA Pipe Cleaning Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation offlhio Filed June 30, 1967, Ser. No. 659,433 Int. tCl. F161 3/16; B65h75/00 U.S. Cl. 1137-35516 8 Qlairns ABSTRACT F THE DTSCLQSURE Animproved hose winding reel assembly of the type including an elongatedcylindrical winding member mounted for rotation about its longitudinalaxis on a shaft which defines a channel for supplying fluid from a firstpoint outside the member to a second point inside the member andadjacent one end thereof. The improvement includes improved means forsupplying the fluid from the second point to the outer surface of thewinding member. These improved means include an outlet opening at thesecond point facing toward the opposite end of the member, and aflexible hose connected to the outlet and extending in a generallyspiral fashion within the member to the opposite end where it exitsthrough an opening in the member.

The present invention is directed toward the winding art and moreparticularly to an improved hose winding reel assembly of the type whichpermits fluid to be fed through a hose while the hose is being wound onor unwound from, the reel assembly.

The invention will be described with particular reference to its use insewer cleaning and flushing operations wherein a high pressure waterhose is fed into a sewer line and water under extremely high pressuredischarged through a nozzle at the end of the hose to flush obstructionsand debris from the sewer line. It is appreciated however, that theinvention is capable of broader application and could be used whereverit is desired to feed fluid through a hose while the hose is being woundon, or unwound from a reel.

In the sewer cleaning art, it has become a comparatively common practiceto clean sewer lines by the use of high pressure water jets. Generally,this is accomplished by use of a high pressure hose provided with anozzle having rearwardly directed outlets. The nozzle is inserted intothe sewer line at some convenient access opening, such as a manhole.Water under extremely high pressure, in the range of 900 psi. andhigher, is supplied through the hose. The force of the water issuingfrom the nozzles rearwardly directed outlets pulls the hose through thesewer line and simultaneously flushes and cleans it.

Because quite often, the distance between available access openings issubstantial, the hose must generally be over 300 feet in length. Inorder for such length of hose to be manageable during the feedingoperation, a hose reel is provided which includes means for supplyingwater to the hose while it is being wound on, and unwound from, thereel.

In the past, the reels have included a conventional winding drum havingan outer surface on which the hose was wound. The drum was provided witha central shaft in the form of a pipe. This pipe was mounted forrotation in suitable bearings and was connected through a swivelconnection with a source of high pressure water. To supply the waterfrom the central pipe to the hose wound on the drum, the pipe wasprovided with a T-fitting connected with a second pipe which extendedradially outwardly just through the drum surface. A 90 elbow at theouter end of the second pipe was connected through a hose connection tothe hose.

Several problems were present in the above-described hose reelconstruction. First, the connection between the elbow and the hose wassubjected to high stress whenever the hose was completely unwound fromthe drum. Consequently, failure of the connector or hose at this pointsometimes occurred with possible injury to the operator. Secondly, theprotrusion of the elbow above the drum surface produced wear andabrasion on the hose wound thereon. Additionally, the protrusionproduced uneven winding of the hose on the drum. Thirdly, the use of theT-fitting and elbow substantially increased the pressure drop in thewater passing through the assembly. The pressure drop through a 2 or 3inch diameter right angle fitting, such as a T or 90 elbow, isconsidered as equivalent to that occurring in 6 to 9 feet of straightpipe of the same diameter. Thus, the prior assemblies produced amaterial increase in pressure drop. And fourthly, flow through the rightangle fittings tended to produce vibrations which were quite substantialin the high pressures and flow rates commonly employed in sewer cleaningoperations.

The present invention provides a hose winding reel assembly whichovercomes the above problems. Because of the unique arrangement of theassembly, undesirable wear on the hose is eliminated. Further, thepressure drop through the assembly is substantially less than in priorhose reels of the same general type.

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there isprovided an improved hose winding reel assembly of the type including anelongated cylindrical winding member mounted for rotation about itslongitudinal axis on a shaft which defines a channel for supplying fluidfrom a first point outside the member to a second point inside themember and adjacent one end thereof. The improvement includes improvedmeans for supplying the fluid from the second point to the outer surfaceof the winding member. These improved means include an 0utlet opening atthe second point facing toward the opposite end of the member, and aflexible hose connected to the outlet and extending in a generallyspiral fashion within the member to the opposite end where it exitsthrough an opening in the member.

In accordance with a more limited aspect of the present invention, thelongitudinal shaft is continuous through the drum and the outlet openingis defined by a Y fitting mounted in the shaft.

With the hose reel formed in the described manner, the undesirableT-fittings and elbows are eliminated and the pressure drop through theassembly substantially reduced. Further, the arrangement permits theconnecting hose to be exited from the member in a direction generallytangential with the outer surface thereof. Further, the connectionbetween the hose and the shaft, which is generally the weak point inmost systems, is within the winding member. Consequently, should theapparatus fail at this point, the operator cannot be injured because theparts are confined by the winding member.

Accordingly, a primary object of the present invention is to provide ahose winding reel assembly of the general type described whereinpressure drop from the fluid passing through the assembly issubstantially less than with prior assemblies.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide a hosewinding reel assembly wherein the hose is not subjected to unnecessarywear and abrasion.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a hose windingreel assembly which is designed so that if failure occurs between thehose connect and the supply pipe connection, the operator of theassembly will not be injured.

A still further object of the present invention is the provision of ahose winding reel assembly which is ruggedly constructed.

Yet another object is the provision of a hose winding reel assemblywhich can be inexpensively manufactured from conventional stockmaterial.

These and other objects and advantages will become apparent from thefollowing description when read in connection with the accompanyingdrawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a pictorial view, with portion broken away, showing theoverall arrangement of a preferred embodiment of a hose reel assemblyconstructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation of the winding reel member utilized in thepresent invention;

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 33 of FIGURE 2; and,

FIGURE 4 is a partial pictorial view showing a second embodiment of theinvention.

Referring now to the drawings wherein the showings are for the purposeof illustrating preferred embodiment of the invention only and not forthe purpose of limiting the same, FIGURE 1 shows an overall arrangementof one embodiment of the improved hose reel assembly A mounted incantilever fashion by a support framework B. A drive assembly C isprovided for selectively rotating the winding assembly to payout orwind-in the hose which would be wound on the assembly.

As shown in FIGURES 1 through 3, the improved hose winding reel assemblyA includes an elongated cylindrical winding member which defines thehose winding surface. As shown, member 10 is formed from two sections. Afirst section 10a has a circumferential extent of approximately 270",while a second section 1% completes the winding surface and is arrangedto permit access to the center of member 10. Radially extending endplates 12 are welded to the opposite ends of section 10a and providemeans for retaining the hose on the member 10. Section 1% is releasablyconnected to the end plates 12 by bolts and nuts 13 which pass throughopenings formed in end plates 12 and plate section 15 welded to ends ofsection 10b. Normally, the nuts are tack welded to the inside surface ofplates 15 so that section 10b can be removed simply by unthreading thebolts for the outside of the winding reel asembly. Additionally, handholes 17 are provided to facilitate removal of section 1012.

As shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, end plates 12 are provided with anoutwardly extending peripheral flange 14 which increases the resistanceof the plates to bending. Further, the juncture between plates 12 andtheir peripheral flange 14 is curved as shown at 16 so as to reduce wearon the hose when it is fed on or removed from the hose reel at asubstantial angle to the reels longitudinal axis.

Extending longitudinally through the center of the drum member 10 isshaft means 18. Shaft means 18 is welded to plates 12 where it passestherethrough. Conventional bearing members 22 connected to support frameassembly B by bolts 24 support the reel for free rotation about itslongitudinal center line.

Of particular importance to the present invention is the arrangementprovided to supply fluid to the hose wound on the winding member 10. Inorder to permit fluid to be supplied on the hose during rotation of theassembly, the right hand end portion 26 of shaft means 18 is formed froma pipe so as to provide a channel which allows fluid to be conductedfrom a first point outside the reel to a second point adjacent the rightend of winding member 10. A conventional swivel connection 28 isattached to the right hand end of the pipe and supplied with highpressure water, such as for example through a hose 30 connected by ahose connection 32 to a swivel 28. The means provided to conduct thewater from the pipe 26 to the hose would on the exterior of windingmember 10 comprise an outlet forming means providing an outlet 33 whichfaces the opposite end of the winding member.

In the preferred embodiment of FIGURE 1, the outlet 33 is provided by aY-fitting 34 screwed to the end of pipe 26. A solid shaft 36 forms theremaining portion of shaft means 18 and is provided with pipe threads atits right end for threaded connection with the through branch of Ymember 34.

As discussed above, in the past, water was supplied from the center pipeto the surface of the winding reel by use of a T-fitting connected witha straight pipe section that extended radially from the T-fittingthrough the outer surface of the winding member. The outermost end ofthe straight pipe was provided with a elbow connected through a hoseconnected to the hose. The problems with this prior arrangementincluding high pressure drop, vibrations, and stress on the hose andconnector, have been discussed in detail. The present inventionovercomes these prior problems by eliminating the use of the T- fittingand connecting the hose or a short hose section 40 directly to theY-branch of the Y-fitting by a conventional hose connector 38. Anopening 42 is formed in winding member 10 at the end opposite fitting34. This permits hose 40 to extend in a gentle spiral-like manner fromconnector 38 to opening 42 where it exits from winding member 10. As canreadily be seen, this arrangement eliminates the high stresses whichpreviously occurred on the connector and hose joined to the 90 elbow.

In order to prevent imposing sharp bends and stresses on the hose 40where it passes through opening 42, opening 42 is contoured to provide acurved hose support surface as best shown in FIGURE 3. As shown, a guideportion 44 is arranged to provide a smooth guide surface for exit of thehose through the opening. Although member 44 could comprise a separatepiece joined to the edge of opening 42, this member preferably is formedby merely making an L shaped cut 43 in the end of section 10a, andbending the thus formed tab inwardly to form member 44. Additionally, asshown in FIGURE 3, a reinforcing plate 46 is welded to the side ofmember 44 to give it the necessary rigidity. With member 44 curved asshown, the hose exits from the center of winding member 10 in a gentleare so as to be relatively tangential to the outer periphery of thewinding member. Preferably, a hose clamp 48 is provided to clamp thehose to member 44 and prevent undue stress from being applied to theconnector 38.

A variety of different arrangement could be utilized to support the reelassembly. However, according to the present invention, the assembly ispreferably supported in cantilever arrangement by a support frame Bconstructed generally as shown in FIGURE 1. As shown, support frame Bcomprises a pair of vertically extending channel members 50 providedwith brackets 51 at their lower ends for mounting the frame on anydesired transporting unit such as a track or trailer. Horizontallyextending channel members 52 are welded or otherwise positivelyconnected to the upper ends of channels 50. The rear ends of member 52are provided with holes 53 to allow the support frame to be connected tothe transporting unit at the top as well as, at the bottom. A secondpair of channel members 54 extend diagonally downward from the junctureof members 50 and 52. The ends of members 54 are joined with the ends ofmembers 50 and 52 by braces 56.

As shown, the lower or outer ends of members 54 are each provided withan inwardly extending slot of a width to receive shaft means 18. Thispermits the reel assembly A to be removed from the support frame simplyby removing bolts 24 and sliding the reel assembly and its mountingbearings 22 out of the frame.

Reel asembly A can be manually rotated or provided with power drivemeans. Preferably a drive assembly as shown in FIGURE 1 is utilized. Asshown, this drive assembly includes a hydraulic motor 60 carried byframe assembly B and provided with hydraulic fluid from a source notshown. The output shaft of the hydraulic motor is provided with asprocket 62 connected to a chain 64 with a sprocket 66 which is keyed orotherwise connected to the left end of shaft means -18. Any of a varietyof control means can be utilized to control the energization of themotor.

A second embodiment of the reel assembly A is shown in FIGURE 4. Thisembodiment is identical in all respects to the embodiment of FIGURES 1through 3, with the exception of the longitudinal shaft means and theinternal hose connection arrangement. Accordingly, all element of thestructure which are the same as those described with reference to theFIGURES 1 through 3 embodiment are identified with the same referencenumeral with the addition of a prime suflix. The description of acorresponding FIGURES 1-3 element is to be considered equally applicableto FIGURE 4 unless otherwise noted.

According to the FIGURE 4 embodiment hose section 40' is connecteddirectly to the end of pipe 26, thus, eliminating the Y fitting.Additionally, the central section of the shaft means is eliminated byterminating solid shaft 36 a short distance after it enters the memberIn order to compensate for the strength lost by the elimination of thecenter section of the shaft, cross braces 60 and 62 are provided. Brace60 comprises a steel bar 61 which extends diagonally through member 10aand is welded at its opposite ends thereto. The bar is also welded tothe end of a shaft 36'. Brace 62 comprises a similar steel bar 63 whichis joined to the right hand end of member 10a. Further, bar 63 is weldedto the right hand end plate 12 and to one side of pipe 26'. In thismanner, the central shaft portion is eliminated and a structure havingthe advantages and strength of the FIGURE 1 embodiment provided.

The invention has been described in great detail sufficient to enableone of ordinary skill in the art to practice the same.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. An improved hose winding reel assembly of the type including anelongated cylindrical winding member mounted for rotation about itslongitudinal axis on a shaft which defines a channel for supplying fluidfrom a first point outside the member to a second point inside themember and adjacent one end thereof; the improvement comprising:improved means for supplying fluid from the second point to the outersurface of the winding member; said means including: first means formingan outlet opening at said second point facing generally toward theopposite end of said member, second means forming an opening throughsaid winding member at said opposite end, and a flexible hose connectedto said outlet opening and extending in generally spiral fashion withinsaid member to said opposite end where it exits through said opening.

2. The improvement as defined in claim 1 wherein said 'first meansinclude a Y-fitting joined to said shaft means at said second point.

3. The improvement as defined in claim 1 wherein said winding memberincludes means providing access to said second point.

4.'The improvement as defined in claim 1 wherein said shaft meansincludes a solid shaft extending longitudinally into said member andconnected with a diagonally extending brace member.

5. The improvement as defined in claim 1 wherein said second meansincludes a hose support surface forming a continuation of the outersurface of said member.

6. The improvement as defined in claim 5 wherein said second meansincludes means for attaching said hose to said support surface.

7. The improvement as defined in claim 1 wherein said shaft includes afirst solid portion extending from said second portion to said oppositeend and wherein said channel is defined by a pipe.

8. The improvement as defined in claim 7 wherein said first meanscomprises a Y-fitting positioned between said solid shaft portion andsaid pipe.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,537,637 5/ 1925 Jarvis137-35523 XR 1,971,165 8/1934 Parker l37-355.26 2,039,250 4/1936 Junge137-355.26 XR 2,514,862 7/1950 Hannay 137355.2 2,573,868 11/1951 Newell137-355.21 2,609,231 9/1952 Crawford 137355.12 2,615,755 10/1952Crawford 137--355.26 3,199,529 8/1965 Fracassi 137355.26 3,225,97412/1965 Athas 137355.l6 XR 3,306,213 2/1967 Fritz 137-355.16 XR SAMUELSCOTT, Primary Examiner

